Ashfords LLP

Construction & Infrastructure.

Partner and Head of Adjudication and Arbitration Services.

He specialises in construction procurement and contentious construction and engineering matters including projects support and drafting and negotiating construction contracts, court proceedings, adjudications and professional negligence claims.

Stephen has over 20 years' experience. He has recently acted for a number of major UK Contractors as well as developers, banks, local authorities, utility companies and consultants providing contentious and non-contentious construction law advice in a number of sectors including the energy sector.

Stephen is a construction adjudicator on a number of industry panels, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a practising mediator. He is also a member of the Association of Partnering Advisers.

Stephen is cited in Chambers & Partners Legal Directory. Clients praise his "very comprehensive and thorough advice with no stone left unturned." Stephen is also recognised as a legal expert in Construction law by the Legal Experts Directory.

Relevant experience:

Riva Properties Limited and Ors: Successfully acting for the Claimant in the high profile case of Riva Properties Ltd & Ors v Foster + Partners Ltd [2017] EWHC 2574 (TCC) in which the High Court ruled that Fosters were in breach of contract for failing to design to a budget and awarded Riva £3.6m plus costs and interest. South Coast Construction Limited: Successfully acted on the reported case of South Coast Construction v Iverson Road in which Mr Justice Coulson made new law when he stated that adjudication enforcement proceedings will trump a statutory moratorium imposed by the Insolvency Act, allowing enforcement proceedings to continue. Utility company: Acting for a utility company on a multi-million pound three party dispute arising from horizontal directional drilling leading to claims for loss and expense due to ground conditions. This involved obtaining suitable geological and horizontal directional drilling expert evidence, advising the client at board level and attending a three party mediation leading to a satisfactory settlement. Contractor: Acting for main contractor on an energy project: woodchip Combined Heat & Power, advising on contract documents and supply of plant from abroad. Contractor: Acting for a marine cable installation contractor and advising in relation to disputed variations under a FIDIC Yellow Book contract for termination and testing of 18 kilometres of core submarine cables in relation to an offshore wind farm.